ZOMBIE FELTIES
How to raise 16 gruesome felt creatures from the undead
Nicola Tedman & Sarah Skeate
Zombie Felties
Copyright © 2011 by Ivy Press Limited
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in
the case of reprints in the context of reviews. For information, write to:
ANDREWS McMEEL PUBLISHING, LLC
an Andrews McMeel Universal company
1130 Walnut Street
Kansas City, Missouri 64106
E-ISBN: 978-1-4494-1862-5
APPR
This book was conceived, designed, and produced by:
Ivy Press
210 High Street, Lewes
East Sussex BN7 2NS, UK
www.ivy-group.co.uk
Creative Director Peter Bridgewater
Publisher Jason Hook
Editorial Director Tom Kitch
Commissioning Editor Sophie Collins
Senior Designer Kate Haynes
Designer Joanna Clinch
Illustrator Melvyn Evans
Photographer Andrew Perris
Color origination by Ivy Press Reprographics
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Important!
Safety warning: Zombie felties are not toys. Many have small, removable parts and should be kept out of the reach of small
children.
CONTENTS
Starting Out
The Stitches
Your Zombie Lineup
Classic Zombie
Zombie Puppy
Zombie Kitty
Dead Ducky
Zombie Bunny
Pumpkin Head
Day of the Dead
Zombie Surfer
Baby Zombie
Zombie Undertaker
Vampire Zombie
Thrilla
Pirate Zombie
Zombie Fairy
Folklore Zombie
Zombie Bride
A Home for Your Zombies
Index
STARTING OUT
How to make sure your zombies look good
Despite their horrid appearance, Zombie Felties are quite easy to sew provided that you follow a
few simple guidelines and pointers for making your first one or two. Be warned, though, not only
are these zombies far too unsettling for small children to play with, but most also have plenty of
sharp or tiny detachable pieces.
TOOLS
Use sharp scissors for cutting and snipping, and use the smallest embroidery needle you’re
comfortable with to add details and sew the felties together.
The craft glue that comes in a tube with a tiny nozzle dispenser is easiest to use; alternatively, use a
glue stick and, when glue is needed for a very small area, scrape a bit off and use the point of a needle,
matchstick, or toothpick to apply it accurately.
A disappearing marking pen is best for drawing around templates. These are popular with quilters
and are available at most craft stores. They draw a line on fabric that simply disappears after a few
days. You can also use it to mark out stitching or placement for adding details on the felt pieces.
TEMPLATES
You can scan and print or photocopy the pattern pieces on the template pages at 100 percent, then
simply cut them out. If you don’t have easy access to a scanner and printer or photocopier, trace the
pattern pieces for the zombie you want to make onto tracing paper with a soft pencil. All the templates
in the book are the correct size to make the zombies shown; none of them will need scaling up or
down.
STUFFING THE ZOMBIES
Use a customized toy stuffing to fill your zombies: It is light, and it’s also easy to separate out the
minute wisps for stuffing the dolls. Don’t be tempted to use cotton balls or batting instead—they’ll
clump and make for a lumpy little doll. Use something small and pointed—we suggest a matchstick or
pointed tweezers—to help you distribute the stuffing evenly in the tinier pieces.
SEWING AND EMBROIDERY
All the zombies are both embroidered and stitched together with embroidery floss. Standard floss
comes in a small skein, with thread made up of six separate strands. You can pull the floss apart to get
the thickness specified in the patterns. You’ll find that the floss is used in single or double threads in
most of the instructions, although more strands will occasionally be called for in specific patterns or
stitches. To get the number of threads you want, cut a short length of floss, around 12–16 inches (30–
40 cm) long, and simply separate the desired number of strands from the main piece, pulling gently
from one end. Keep the other strands to use elsewhere. To secure the thread, either tie a small knot at
the end of the floss, or make a tiny cross stitch (one stitch laid over another). Whichever method you
choose, start from the wrong side of the felt piece on which you are working. All the patterns specify
using an embroidery needle unless you are sewing on beads, in which case you should use a special
beading needle. This has a very narrow head so that the beads slip over it easily.
If you aren’t used to embroidering, practice the stitches a few times on a felt scrap before working
on a zombie. None of the stitches described are difficult, but one or two—French knots in particular—
can take some practice to get perfect.
THE STITCHES
OVERSTITCHING
Overstitching is used to attach two pieces of fabric together. This isn’t a decorative stitch, so always
use thread that matches the color of the felt, and keep the stitches small and neat.
1 Take a strand of embroidery floss and align the two pieces of fabric to be stitched together. Bring
the thread through from the wrong side of one of the pieces and make a small stitch at right angles to
the edges of both felt pieces, going over both edges and taking the needle through both layers of felt.
2 Push the needle back through the felt, bringing it out a little farther along from where you started,
and make a second stitch over the edges of both pieces of felt.
BACKSTITCH
This stitch makes a plain unbroken line.
1 Thread the needle with one or two strands of floss, as directed, then bring it up through the fabric at
the point at which you want the line of stitching to start.
2 Make a stitch going in the opposite direction to the way you want your backstitch line to continue,
and bring the needle back up through the fabric one stitch length away in the direction in which you
want your stitching line to go.
3 Take the thread backward and push the needle through the point where the first stitch finished. Bring
it out one stitch length in front of the thread. Continue until the length of the desired line of backstitch
is complete. Fasten off.
SATIN STITCH
This stitch is useful for filling small areas solidly.
To cover small areas, make single, long parallel stitches alongside one another. This will make a
solid area of threads.
Satin stitch is usually done neatly with stitches running exactly parallel. For the rather more grisly
effects (clotted blood, for example!) called for in some of the zombies, make small areas of satin
stitch a little more uneven—you can overlap stitches slightly, or set them at a small angle to one
another. For really gruesome “clotting” when you’re sewing bloodstains, try adding one or two French
knots to areas of satin stitch.
CHAIN STITCH
This stitch makes a decorative line of linked loops.
1 Bring your threaded needle up through the fabric, then bring the spare thread out in front of your
needle and make a loop around it. Reinsert the needle in the fabric and bring it out again one stitch
length in front of your first stitch and through the loop of thread.
2 Pull the thread tightly enough to make an oval-shaped stitch that lies flat. Repeat both steps to
continue the chain of stitches.
FRENCH KNOT
This stitch makes a small decorative knot that stands above the surface of the felt.
1 Thread a needle with the number of strands specified in the instructions, fasten the end on the wrong
side of the felt, and bring the needle out on the right side where you want to make your French knot.
Use your left thumb to hold down the thread at the point at which it emerges from the felt, and wrap
the thread twice around the needle.
2 Keep your thumb in place on the felt and bring the needle back through the felt very close to where
it emerged (not in the exact same spot, though, or the thread will simply pull back through the hole).
3 Push the needle through to the back of the felt and pull the thread taut. A small textured knot will be
left on the right side of the felt. Fasten off the thread on the wrong side, or go on to make your next
French knot.
Double and triple French knots can be made when you want the finished knot to be larger. They’re
made by winding the thread two or three more times around the needle. You need to be very careful
that the thread doesn’t tangle when you’re pulling it back through the felt.
BEADING
Use a beading needle to add beads and sequins. Beads are sewn on simply by bringing the needle
through from the back of the felt, threading the bead onto the needle, then pushing the needle back
through near where it first emerged and pulling the thread tight.
To add a sequin, bring the needle up through the felt, thread on the sequin, and secure it by taking a
stitch over to the edge on each side (or use more stitches, to make a decorative star shape on top of
your sequin). Alternatively, use a bead to secure the sequin in the center, as shown below right.
TO SECURE A SEQUIN WITH A BEAD
1 Thread a beading needle and bring it up through the felt to the right side. Thread first the sequin and
then the bead onto the needle.
2 Take the needle back through the central hole of the sequin, pull the thread tight, and fasten off
securely at the back of the felt. The bead, larger than the central hole of the sequin, will hold the
sequin in place.
3 To add more beads, make a short stitch to the next point and add the next bead. Repeat and then
fasten off securely at the back.
BASEBALL STITCH
Baseball stitch is used to join two edges that abut one another. The bodies of the zombie felties that
are a cone or cylinder shape are closed up using this stitch.
1 Bring a needle up through one piece of fabric a little way in from the edge (the length that you want
your stitch to be).
2 Take it down through the space between the two pieces of fabric that you are joining, and bring it up
through the back of the other edge, a stitch’s length in.
3 Repeat, going between the space and up through the other piece of fabric, to make a row of stitches
that go alternately between the two pieces of fabric.
TIPS
* Pay attention to the difficulty levels, which are shown as skull ratings. The easiest zombies are
marked with one skull, slightly harder ones with two, and so on. Don’t attempt a three-skull zombie
until you’ve tried a few at the simpler levels!
* Pick one of the darker-colored zombies for your first project—when you’re starting out, you’ll be
more likely to handle the felt and the paler colors can become grubby as you work.
* Felt doesn’t fray, so it’s good for working at this scale, but when a piece or pieces are particularly
tiny, you may find that it helps to scrape a very, very thin layer of craft glue over the wrong side of
the fabric and allow it to dry before you cut them out. This makes the fabric slightly stiffer, and the
cut pieces will have nice sharp edges.
CLASSIC ZOMBIE
Graying flesh dropping from exposed teeth? Check. Spiky wisps of hair sticking out all over?
Check. Moldy bandages trailing around lurching limbs? Check. It’s the classic zombie: the one
that’s graced a thousand B movies. Coming soon to a sewing table near you.
DIFFICULTY RATING
YOU WILL NEED
* 6-inch (15-cm) square of pale gray felt
* 4-inch (10-cm) square of dark gray felt
* 4-inch (10-cm) square of cream felt
* Small scrap of white felt
* Embroidery floss in black, white, red, pale gray, and dark gray
* 2 small black bugle beads
* 4 white bugle beads
* 1 black sequin
* 1 round white bead, about ¼ inch (6 mm) in diameter
* 1 round white bead, about ½ inch (1.25 cm) in diameter
* 2 tiny black beads
* 12-inch (30-cm) length of black necklace cord
* Tiny quantity of toy stuffing
* Embroidery needle
* Beading needle
* Scissors
* Pencil
* Tracing paper
* Craft glue
* Matchstick or tweezers to help with stuffing
TO MAKE CLASSIC ZOMBIE
1 Cut out all the felt pieces as marked, either photocopying or scanning the templates, or using tracing
paper to make templates as described here. Stick the nose piece in place on one of the head pieces with
craft glue. Thread a beading needle with 1 strand of black floss and stitch the black bugle beads in
place on the nose piece.
2 Thread a beading needle with 1 strand of white floss and stitch the 4 white bugle beads in place
under the nose to make teeth. Thread an embroidery needle with 6 strands of black floss and sew a
large cross stitch where the zombie’s left eye will dangle. Thread a beading needle with 2 strands of
black floss and sew the right eye in place by taking the needle through the felt, then through the black
sequin, the smaller of the 2 round white beads, and one of the tiny black beads, then back through the
larger bead, the sequin, and the felt.
3 Add the dangling eyeball: Thread a beading needle with 2 strands of red floss and push it from the
wrong side of the felt through the center of the cross stitch that makes the left eye. Feed first the
second tiny black bead and then the larger round white bead onto it. Thread the needle back through
the center of the white bead, then sew the floss back through the felt, leaving enough slack for the
eyeball to dangle on the cheek. When the loop is the right length, bring the floss back through from
the wrong side of the felt and wind more red floss around the loop of the eyeball to strengthen it.
Finish off the floss on the wrong side of the felt. Glue the bandage across the left-hand top of the head,
taking the ends around to the back.
4 Cut the necklace cord into 10 even lengths am glue them in place on the inside of the second head
piece. Thread an embroidery needle with 1 strand of pale gray floss, align the 2 head pieces, and sew
them together with a small overstitch. Leave a gap at the base and pad the head lightly with wisps of
stuffing, using a matchstick or tweezers to help you. Then stitch the gap closed.
5 Add the 4 body bandages to the front of one of the body pieces, gluing them in place and taking the
ends around to the wrong side of the felt
6 Glue the single arm unit to the wrong side of the second body piece, very slightly below the top
edge. Wrap and glue the arm bandage twice around the right arm.
7 Thread an embroidery needle with 1 strand of dark gray floss, align the body pieces, and stitch them
together using a small overstitch. Pass the needle to the side of the bandages so that the stitches don’t
show. Leave the neck open. Pad the body with wisps of stuffing, using a matchstick or tweezers to fill
it evenly. Stitch the body closed.
8 Thread an embroidery needle with 2 strands of dark gray floss and stitch the body to the back of the
head. Finally, trim the spikes of hair to make raggedly different lengths.
ZOMBIE PUPPY
You can tell that this pup didn’t come out of any ordinary breeding program. You may be able to
get over his gleaming red eyes and his cold, unpuppylike demeanor. But what’s that he’s
chewing, with the clotted red stuff all over it? Could it be…?
DIFFICULTY RATING
YOU WILL NEED
* 6-inch (15-cm) square of gray-green felt
* 2-inch (5-cm) square of white felt
* 2-inch (5-cm) square of cream felt
* Embroidery floss in pink, black, white, red, and gray-green
* 2 flat oval red beads, about ¼ inch (6 mm) long
* Tiny quantity of toy stuffing
* Embroidery needle
* Beading needle
* Scissors
* Pencil
* Tracing paper
* Craft glue
* Matchstick or tweezers to help with stuffing
TO MAKE ZOMBIE PUPPY
1 Cut out all the felt pieces as marked, either photocopying or scanning the templates, or using tracing
paper to make templates as described here. Stick the teeth in position on the back of the head front
piece with craft glue. Check the photograph of the finished piece for placement.
2 Thread an embroidery needle with 2 strands of pink floss and use satin stitch to embroider a patch of
pink “gums” at the top of the tooth piece.
3 Thread an embroidery needle with 2 strands of black floss and use satin stitch to make Puppy’s nose,
checking with the photograph to get the shape right. Rethread the needle with 2 strands of white floss
and make the highlight on the nose with 2 or 3 smaller stitches. Then thread a beading needle with 2
strands of red floss and sew on the 2 red beads for Puppy’s eyes.
4 Glue the ears in position on the back of Zombie Puppy’s head, checking the photograph of the
finished piece for placement.
5 Align the 2 felt head pieces and stitch them together using an embroidery needle threaded with 1
strand of gray-green floss and a small overstitch. Just catch the thread when sewing around the back of
the teeth so that the stitches don’t show. Leave a gap at the top of the head and stuff with wisps of toy
stuffing, using a matchstick or tweezers to help you. Stitch the gap closed.
6 Glue the 2 felt body pieces together, then stitch the top of the body to the back of Zombie Puppy’s
head, using 1 strand of gray-green floss and a small overstitch. Make small individual stitches under
the puppy’s chin to hold it down against the body piece.
7 Align the 2 bone pieces and use a tiny quantity of craft glue to stick them together.
8 When the glue is dry, thread an embroidery needle with 2 strands of red floss and I embroider the
blood in satin stitch. If you’d like to, I add a few French knots to look like clots and drips.
ZOMBIE KITTY
In life she finished off mice and other vermin; now that she’s joined the zombies, she’s ready and
able to tackle bigger prey. This grim little feline has moved way beyond a saucer of milk: These
days, she’s pure carnivore.
DIFFICULTY RATING
YOU WILL NEED
* 6-inch (15-cm) square of pale green felt
* Small scraps of red and pink felt
* Embroidery floss in pink, pale green, black, and red
* 8-inch (20-cm) length of black necklace cord
* 1 small round white bead, about ¼ inch (6 mm) in diameter
* 1 tiny black bead
* Tiny quantity of toy stuffing
* Embroidery needle
* Beading needle
* Scissors
* Pencil
* Tracing paper
* Craft glue
* Matchstick or tweezers to help with stuffing